Solid state batteries (SSB) include solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte material. In SSBs containing lithium-anode, the lithium (Li) metal anode/solid electrolyte interface routinely suffers from degradation due to mechanical stresses at the interface during the battery cycling process. The degradation is in turn responsible for a non-uniform plating and stripping of the lithium metal, which results in a SSB with lowered performance.